


there's no gravity to hold me

by thesaddestboner



Category: Baseball RPF
Genre: Angst, Break Up, Crying, Detroit Tigers, F/M, Infidelity, Melodrama, Non-Famous Family Members As Characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-02-20
Updated: 2009-02-20
Packaged: 2017-12-03 14:49:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/699423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesaddestboner/pseuds/thesaddestboner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>They steal furtive kisses whenever his back is turned, a slip of the hand to the small of her back, thick fingers curl in her hair, tiny white hands stroke appreciatively over inked flames.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	there's no gravity to hold me

**Author's Note:**

> Emily Yuen is Justin Verlander's ex-girlfriend and Rachel is Joel Zumaya's wife.
> 
> Title from the Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown (boo hiss!) song of the same name.
> 
> You can find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/thesaddestboner) and [tumblr](http://saddestboner.tumblr.com).

They steal furtive kisses whenever his back is turned, a slip of the hand to the small of her back, thick fingers curl in her hair, tiny white hands stroke appreciatively over inked flames. When they're feeling particularly bold, Joel will pull Emily onto his lap and lock his strong arms around her, nose the side of her neck until she squeals for him to let her go. Justin just grins, thinks it's great that his best friend and his fiancée get along so wonderfully. 

They get along really wonderfully. 

During the season, they don't have much time together, and during the offseason it's even harder. Justin and Emily spend most of it in Lakeland together, barely out of one another's sight for more than fifteen minutes. When Emily and Justin do separate for the various holidays, Emily usually somehow finds her way out to Chula Vista. 

*

Joel peels an orange apart and sucks a slice into his mouth, the juices running down his chin. Nothing better than a fresh orange, he thinks. Well, _almost_. There are maybe one or two things better than fresh oranges. 

"Hey." 

Joel looks up and smiles when he sees her. "You came. Didn't think you would," he says, wiping his hands off on his jeans and heading over to her. He slips an arm around her waist and pulls her close, leaning in to give her a kiss. 

Emily leans back and Joel ends up kissing air. "We need to talk," she says, and Joel's blood runs cold. 

"What about?" he asks slowly, letting her go and taking a step back. He looks at Emily for the first time, for real, notices the deep bags under her eyes, the almost ghostly pallor. 

Emily raises her purse and and digs through it, pulls out a stack of Polaroids and tosses them onto the kitchen counter. "He found them," she says quietly, tucking her arms across her chest. 

"He found what? Who did, Justin?" Joel picks up the photographs and glances down at them. His cheeks grow warm just looking at them. "Shit." 

"It has to stop," she says. 

Joel looks up at her, snapping the photographs against his palm. "No." 

"What are you talking about? Of _course_ it has to end," she says, staring at him like he's sprouted a second head. 

Joel can see the webbing at the corners of her eyes, knows she's cried long and hard over this. It just makes it hurt even worse. "No," he repeats. "I can't do that, Em. I love you." 

"I love Justin," she says. 

"So you're just gonna end it? Just like that?" he asks. 

"There's no other way," she says, pulling a wad of Kleenex out of her purse. Emily dabs at her eyes, shifting uncomfortably away from him. "I love Justin. I've already hurt him enough, Joel. You know what he said when he found those? He said it was like I was killing him inside. I can't hurt him any more." 

"You're hurtin' me too," he says. 

"I'm sorry, but this is how it has to be." Emily snaps her purse shut and shoulders the strap. "We can't see each other again." 

Joel lets the photographs spill from his hand. "You're all I had. Now I got nothin'." 

"Go back to Rachel," Emily says. 

"I don't want Rachel. I don't love her." Joel watches the pictures pirouette in the air and flutter to the linoleum, one by one. 

Emily sighs and steps forward, leaning in and pressing her lips against his cheek. "Take care of yourself, Joel." She gives him a squeeze on the shoulder and slips away before he can get his arms securely around her. 

Joel watches her leave, watches her take a piece of him away with her, and sits down on the linoleum and cries.

**Author's Note:**

> The author of this piece intends no insult, slander, or copyright infringement, and is not profiting from this work. This story is a complete work of fiction and does not necessarily reflect on the nature of the individuals featured. This is for entertainment purposes only. If you found this story while Googling your name or the names of your friends, hit the back button now.


End file.
